Timeless
by Jack Cross
Summary: My name is Ryou. I am just an average person, seeking meaning in a world torn apart by war and insanity. Well, average that is, except for one detail. I can't die. Prequel to Ageless.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Internet! Tis I, Jack, here with the promised and long awaited prequel to Ageless. It's taken time, and a lot of planning, replanning, and scraping before I finally got the story line straightened out like I wanted. So, without further delay, I give you Timeless:**

 **I do not in any way own Avatar, The Last Airbender.**

The midday sun bore down upon the village with an unrelenting intensity. Everyone with a pulse had sought out some kind of shade in an effort to escape it's wrath. Even the stray cats and dogs had found refuge of some sort. Sure there were some people coming and going about their business, but there weren't enough to consider the village bustling.

Despite the overall lack of foot traffic, the shopkeeper still had his place wide open. With the heat, being kept inside was almost as stifling as standing in direct sunlight. So he'd opened the place up a little, opting to use the shade of an outdoor stand along the side of his shop rather then bake to death in a building with no breeze.

So far, he'd only had a single customer all day. A young man from out of town, a stranger. He wore a battered old conical rice hat, a dark blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows, a pair of gray trousers, and black boots. On his hip rested a black katana, which was stuck through a sash that served as a belt.

Currently, the stranger was slurping on a bowl of noodles at the end of the small counter, seemingly lost in his own little world. Overall, the shopkeeper wasn't quite sure what to make of the stranger. He appeared to be in his early twenties, and his skin tone suggested a possible Water Tribe origin. His hair, which was pulled back into a loose fitting pony tail, was dark as well. The sense that the shopkeeper got from him was one of a man who simply wanted to be left alone to eat his meal in peace.

Which was more then could be said for the soldiers that were across the street. There were four of them, each one wearing a green Earth Kingdom uniform. Currently, they were playing craps in the shade of one of the buildings. Although it may not have looked it at the moment, the soldiers were a burden on the village.

Although apart of the local garrison, they were little more then board thugs with nothing to do. Officially, their job was to protect the town and the surrounding areas from the Fire Nation. The strategic value of the area, however, made that threat unlikely. There were no major trade routes in the area, and the only resources to plunder were the local farms and ranches. Even the bandit gangs that had sprung up thanks to the chaos of the war didn't consider this place worth their time.

The locals knew it too, made evident by the single watch tower in the village square being the only sort of defensive structure. So, with no Fire Nation and no bandits to protect from, the soldiers had started taking advantage of their position. The law stated that all Earth Kingdom citizens were required to provide garrisoned military personal with whatever they needed. These soldiers had started abusing that law, making the villagers hand over whatever they wanted under the guise of 'donations to the military'.

The villagers were left with very little that they could do. Fighting back against the soldiers, or even objecting to their seizing of goods was against the law. Actively fighting back against them was considered an attempt to undermine the war effort, and therefore treason. No one was willing to risk execution just to punch a few bullies.

Going above the soldiers' heads wouldn't work either. It was almost a full day's ride via ostrich horse just to get to the next town, much less the next garrison. Given how desperate the Earth Kingdom's position in the war had gotten over the past few years, it was unlikely that anything would be done to replace the soldiers. The army was taking anyone they could get their hands on these days, and chances were they didn't have the manpower to replace the men that were here now. In the end, it was easier for everyone to just give the soldiers the rations they demanded and then keep their heads low so as to not draw attention to themselves.

"Come on, spider snake eyes," one of the soldiers said before rolling the dice. The two cubes bounced across the dirt before come up with two fives. The man who had rolled smiled and cheered his success, until two of his comrades gut punched him. While this was going on, a young man came riding up to the stand on an ostrich horse.

Like the first stranger, this newcomer was wearing a conical hat, although in much better condition. He had on a bland mixture of browns and olive greens, as well as a dao broadsword sheathed on his hip. His skin was a light color, and what made him stand out the most was the burn scar which dominated his left eye, cheek, and majority of his face back to his ear.

Pulling on the reigns, the young man swung down from the saddle and tied off his mount before standing directly before the shopkeeper. He was younger then the shopkeeper had originally assumed, appearing to be in his mid to late teens or so. His eyes were a golden amber color, another sign that he was not from around here.

"Can I get some water, a bag of feed, and something hot to eat?" he asked as he laid down a pair of copper pieces onto the counter. The shopkeeper looked down at the coins before back up at the young man.

"Not enough here for a hot meal. I can get you two bags of feed though," he counter offered. The young man looked down in disappointment before gently clutching his stomach, a sign that he had gone a while without eating. A few more coins suddenly appeared alongside the ones he had already sat down, causing both the newcomer and the shopkeeper to look at where they had come from.

"Get him his food," the stranger at the end of the bar said without really looking at the two of them.

"That's not..." the newcomer started, but was silenced when the stranger raised his hand.

"Save it, kid. Take this act of kindness, it's probably the last one you'll get for a while," he said. Reluctantly, the newcomer nodded his head in agreement, and the shopkeeper scooped up the coins before hurrying off to fulfill the order.

"Thank you," the newcomer said out of the corner of his mouth. The stranger simply waved him off.

"Don't mention it, kid." They went back to waiting in silence, neither one really noticing or acknowledging the boys that were peaking around the counter at the soldiers across the street. One of them stood and lobbed an egg with all his might before ducking down for cover. The egg sailed true, shattering all over the back of one of the soldier's heads.

"Hey! You throwin' eggs at us, stranger?" the leader of the soldiers said. He was a large man with a beard and a pair of war hammers hanging on his belt.

"No," the newcomer answered, his voice sounding disinterested.

"You see who threw it?" the man pressed on.

"No," the newcomer said again as he turned to face the soldiers. This time he sounded a little annoyed at the fact that they were talking to him.

"That your favorite word?" one of the other soldiers asked.

"Egg had to come from somewhere," the leader said, ignoring his subordinate.

"Maybe a chicken flew over," the newcomer said as he turned back to the counter. The shopkeeper had returned with a bag of grain over his shoulder and a steaming bowl of soup in his hands. He sat the bowl down first before laying the bag beside it. As the newcomer went to pick up the bag of feed, the leader of the soldiers stepped forward and took it for himself.

"Thank you for your donation, the army appreciates your support," he said before tossing it to one of his men. The newcomer glared at him, but otherwise kept his mouth shut. One of the soldiers slunk forward and knocked the bowl on the counter into the dirt.

"Oops, how clumsy of me," he said, earning a laugh from the others. That is, until his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed face first into the street. Standing directly behind him was the stranger at the end of the bar. The soldiers all looked at him first with shock, and then with murder in their eyes. He didn't seem to notice or care as he bent down and took the pouch of coins the soldier had on his belt. After counting out some copper pieces, he tied off the bag and dropped it back onto the man's knocked out form.

"He owned me for a meal," the stranger said, as if that explained everything.

"You two had better leave town. Penalty for staying is a lot steeper then either of you can afford, trust me," the leader said as he patted one of his hammers before heading off with the others in tow.

"Those soldiers are suppose to protect us from the Fire Nation, but they're just a bunch of thugs," the shopkeeper said as he folded his arms. The newcomer stared to go for his horse, but was stopped when the stranger placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Finish your meal," he said. They both looked at the bowl laying in the dust before returning their attention to the shopkeeper. He started to protest, but was silenced by a glare from the stranger before heading off to get another bowl.

"What's your name, kid?" the stranger asked.

"I'm..um..." he trailed off, suddenly realizing that he didn't have a name to travel under.

"Relax. I ain't after bounties. But if you're going for an alias, try avoiding Lee. There are a million of those. I'd suggest something a touch more rare, like Khan for example," the stranger said. The newcomer mused that one over a little.

"Alright...Khan. My name is Khan."

"Name's Ryou, it's a pleasure, Khan," the stranger said as they shook hands. With that, they went to waiting on the food. A boy of about ten or so popped his head up from behind the counter. He had wild hair and a rather large gap in his teeth.

"Thanks for not ratting me out!" he said. He didn't get very far as Ryou snatched him up by the back of the collar and held him aloft.

"You stupid or just got a death wish?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, okay? I was just having a little fun."

"Pissing off the local garrison is what counts as fun around here?" Ryou asked.

"Look around you, mister, there's nothing to do in this town," the kid defended.

"Oh yes, and that totally justifies throwing things at people who have the legal right to kill you at even the slightest provocation. Brilliant planning there on your part, squirt."

"It's not like they'll do anything, anyway. They may talk all tough but I've never actually seen them in action. The only thing they seem to do is get fat off the rest of us," the kid said. Ryou sighed before he released his grip, allowing the kid to drop back to the ground.

"Go on, get home, before I change my mind and let those troopers ring your scrawny neck," he said. The kid took off just as the shopkeeper came back with another steaming bowl.

"That's Lee. He can be a little rowdy, but he's a good kid," he said.

"His stupidity will get him killed," Ryou muttered.

* * *

Rather than heed the soldier's warning, I made the choice to stay in town, paying the guy who ran the stables to sleep there as the place lacked anything resembling an inn. The teenager who called himself Khan had ridden off, probably putting as many miles between himself and the village as possible. I couldn't blame him for not wanting to start trouble, but at the same time I was a little disappointed that he didn't. Soldiers like the ones garrisoned here gave the Earth Kingdom military a bad name.

As for the kid named Lee, I hadn't seen him since either. I did double check my belt for my coin purse, not wanting to take any chances on him being a pickpocket or not. Kids like him are a major source of trouble. Not that they're always bad or looking to do bad things, it's just that things tend to happen when they get board.

Speaking of getting board, this town truly had nothing to offer other then the little shop I had met Khan at. I sat in the shade at this place for the remainder of the day and into the night, occasionally chatting with people who passed by. Secretly I was baiting the soldiers into a fight, tempting them to come back so I could wipe the street with them. But as the sun sank behind the horizon, no such fight came to be. In fact, I never saw a single sign of them.

By the time the sun had set, I had struck up a Pai Sho game with an older man while the shopkeeper leaned on a broom and watched. The game, with the help of some drink, managed to loosen the tensions between the locals and myself. It wasn't long before we were joking and laughing while playing.

"So what brings you to our little road bump?" my opponent asked as he slid a piece across the board.

"Passing through, mainly. I'm on business at the moment," I answered as I met his piece with one of my own.

"Mm, and what business is that?" the shopkeeper asked. He was partially sitting on another table while holding his drink in his hand and having his broom lean against his frame.

"Whatever job happens to pay well enough," I replied before taking a sip of my own drink. This was true in a sense. I had discharged from the army about a year ago and was drifting at this point, looking for a way to keep food in my belly, coin in my purse, while at the same time retain some excitement. Be it treasure hunting or bounty hunting, whichever paid more was more then likely where I was going to wind up.

"So you're unemployed," the old man said as he made his own move.

"Not exactly. The job is long term," I replied before sliding a lotus tile across the board. My employer was a wealthy nobleman from Gaoling who wanted a family heirloom found and returned to him. Apparently a thief had made off with it and was now fleeing east along this road. My job was to find the thief and returned the object that was stolen. Problem was, I had very few details to go on.

I knew that the thief was female, she had left a hair tie behind when she had fled after her theft, and that was about it. Other then the general direction she was heading I didn't really have anything else. Truth be told it was pretty damn frustrating. The trail tends to go cold really fast when you don't even have a description of the person you're chasing.

"If you're looking for some quick cash, I heard the army is looking for dispatch riders and scouts," the shopkeeper said.

"I just got out of the army not that long ago. I'm not desperate enough to go crawling back just yet. Besides, the war's almost over as it is," I said. It was true. There were very few places in the north and west the Fire Nation didn't control. Their imperialist onslaught had claimed all of the major strongholds. Not even mountaintop city of Omashu had escaped, having fallen this past winter. Now, only the capital, Ba Sing Se, was left.

"That's not true. Didn't you hear? The Avatar has returned. He's gonna turn this war around, I'm telling you," the shopkeeper said. My smile faded from my face as memories, long ago buried by drink and other means were dredged up to the surface.

"The Avatar is dead," I said in a voice that was as cold and stoic as I could muster. This was a fact I had accepted long ago. To say otherwise was to give people false hope.

"No, no, it's true. I've heard it myself. He annihilated an entire Fire Navy fleet this past winter by himself. I'm telling you with power like that on our side there's no way we can lose," the shopkeeper pressed.

"Tall tales and whispers, friend. You're probably the fifth person to be hearing it," I said as I started to take another drink.

"I heard that myself, actually. Turned an entire fleet to scrap metal with his Avatar powers. What was his name? Agni? Arrow? Aang?" the old man asked. I froze, using the cup to hide my sudden surprise. Tall tales were one thing, but that name, I had heard that name before, so very long ago.

"If that's true, then where is this Aang character now?" I asked. Both of the other men shrugged. It's not like I expected them to actually know his location, stories like this tend to leave out that part. More then likely this was a tale that had spread about some bending hero people had started to mistaken for the Avatar.

'Hero Stories' as I like to call them, tended to pop up every generation or so. Some great and powerful bender accomplishes some task, and people think they're the Avatar as a result. It varied from person to person on how they reacted to this. Some were humble and stated that they were not, in fact, a god incarnate. Others tried to use it to their advantage and ride the wave of fame and fortune that came with it. This lasted until someone else, usually the actual Avatar, arrived and knocked the crap out of them.

Being a non bender, I didn't really care about such tales. I was making my way in the world with just myself, my blade, and what I could accomplish on my own. It's not what a man can do that makes him a man, it's what he actually does.

"I thought I told you to leave town." We all turned to the sound of the new voice. It was the leader of the soldiers from earlier, along with a pair of his men on either side of him. I was...mildly disinterested, to say the least. These guys were board and looking for something to do. If they started a fight, it'd be one of them who threw the first punch, not me.

"No. You suggested that I leave town. I took your advice, and decided that I'll leave when I'm good and ready," I replied, leaning back lazily in my chair. The man's eyebrow twitched. It was obvious he wasn't use to people talking back to him.

"I also warned that the penalty for staying was too much for you to afford," he warned, his hands slipping toward his hammers. I glanced down at them and then back up to him before picking up my cup again.

"You really think a couple of low ranked piss ants like you scare me?" I asked before taking a sip. Now the man was furious. He looked to the guy standing on his right, who was holding a spear.

"Are you just gonna stand there and let this guy insult you?" he hissed.

"He's got a sword," the man on the other side of him pointed out.

"So what? There's two of you and one of him. It's probably meant for show anyway."

"Do you really want to put that theory to the test?" I warned, eying both of the soldiers standing on either flank with a steely gaze. They both took a half step backwards out of instinct. The leader through, he stood his ground and drew his hammers. Based on his stance, I figured he was also probably an earthbender. I'd have to hit him high, hard, and fast if I wanted a chance to make it out in one piece.

"Fine, I'll do it myself," he said as he went to raise his hammers. I reacted before he did, kicking the chair I had been resting my feet on into his kneecaps. He bent over from the force of the blow, at which point I grabbed the small bowl with a candle in it off the table and threw the molten wax into his face.

The leader jerked his head back, dropping one of his hammers and screaming in pain as the wax seared his eyes. I was on my feet in a flash, my stance widening as I pulled the my sword from it's scabbard. My momentum drove the pommel right into his face, forcing him backwards. He took a few stumbling steps back before losing his balance and falling, using his back to shatter another table.

Neither one of his companions dared move as they regarded me in shock. I just simply stood there in a ready stance, my sword partially drawn as I waited for someone else to make a move. When they did finally move, it was to quickly pick up their fallen leader and carry him off into the night. It was only after they were gone did I fully resheath my blade and relax my stance.

"Sorry about the table," I said, hoping to break the awkward silence. My two companions for the evening seemed at a loss, like they didn't know whether to cheer for me or morn me cause I had just signed my own death warrant.

"You just stood up to those guys, and your legs aren't broken," the shopkeeper said in awe. I shrugged as I sat back down in my chair and reclaimed my drink.

"Only tomorrow will see if I acted accordingly."

* * *

Late morning brought with it a whole host of new trouble. The soldiers, back up to full strength in numbers, had gathered around the base of the watch tower in the center of town. They also had Lee with them, tied to one of the bamboo support beams. It didn't make much sense why they'd be doing this. For some reason their leader kept looking toward the road, not like he was going to make a run for it, but like he was watching for something. Or someone.

From out of the dusty plains came Khan, alone atop his mount like a wanderer from fables told to children. He came to a halt about halfway up the street before dismounting and taking off his hat. The way he stood made it clear he opposed the soldiers. To top it all off, he stood alone.

I watched with only a mild interest. If the soldiers were smart, they'd use their numerical advantage and rush him all at once. Of course, they didn't choosing instead to attack him one at a time. Khan easily took them down one by one with little effort, showing both skill and training. There was one thing in particular that caught my eye. It was his stance with his sword when he finally drew it to face the earthbender with the hammers.

There was only one other person I had seen with a stance like that, which meant that Khan had trained under him, which meant that Khan was Fire Nation. This was proven a few moments later when he lept to his feet, unleashing a torrent of fire in the process. The tables were suddenly turned. While he had been on the back foot, now he was on the offensive and dominating his opponent.

"Who are you?" the earthbender asked after he had been knocked off his feet and was at the other man's mercy.

"My name is Zuko!" he declared, "Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai! Prince of the Fire Nation, and heir to the throne!"

"Liar!" It was the old man I had played Pai Sho with the night before. "I heard of you! You're not a Prince, you're an outcast, his own father burned and disowned him!" And just like that, I had seen enough. By revealing his identity, Khan, or Zuko to be more accurate, had turned the townspeople against him. The scars of the war ran deep. Heroic actions or not, they'd hang him from the guard tower by the time the sun set.

This was part of the reason why I left quickly, riding out of town while the crowd was still focused on the young prince. They would be even more paranoid of strangers now, and probably tear me apart like rabid dogs to fresh meat simply on speculation alone.

Still, I found the situation to be somewhat puzzling. Here was someone who was suppose to be an enemy of mine, a member of the royal family of a nation at war with my own, and yet I felt a strange sense of kinship with him. Maybe it was the way of the sword, or maybe it was being an outcast without a home. Whatever the reason, I found myself waiting in the shade of a tree a short distance from the town. I didn't have to wait long before he came by.

"Your stance reflects that of your master," I said. He brought his mount to a halt, his hand falling to his sword.

"You saw what happened?" he asked, clearly expecting trouble.

"I did. You put quite the passion into announcing who you were," I said before nudging my own mount forward.

"That was probably a mistake," he admitted.

"Probably. But one you'll know not to repeat in the future."

"Is there a reason why you waited for me?" Zuko asked.

"I figured I'd ride along with you for a while, Prince. You're still new to this kind of life, and you probably won't get another chance for someone to show you the ropes," I answered.

"I'm not helpless!" he snapped.

"I didn't say you were. But trust me, out here on the road, you need all the friends you can get," I countered. He looked like he was debating something in his head and was quiet for a long time. Finally he removed his hand from his sword and made a motion for us to get moving. I turned my own mount and fell in along side him.

"You said you recognized my fighting stance as that of my master," he said after a while, breaking the silence. I nodded.

"Piandao was an old rival of mine. I crossed blades with him many times," I said. A look of confusion came over the prince's face.

"But, master Piandao retired from service several decades ago," he said in confusion. I simply gave him a small, secret held smile.

"One thing you will learn on the road, Prince, is that things are often not as they appear."

 **And cut. That's it for the first chapter. For those of you wondering, yes, Ryou does resemble Nanashi from Sword of the Stranger. But beyond physical looks, that's where the similarities end. Please, feel free to read, review, send PMs, ask questions, and I'll see you all next time around.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, Happy New Year! A lot of you seemed to be excited for the new chapter of Timeless, so here it is. Consider it a Christmas/New Years gift, cause otherwise I'm broke. Anyway, on with the show:**

"What are you doing?' I asked. Zuko looked like he was pondering a set of plants with his hand on his chin. It was dusk, and we were settling in to camp for the night.

"I'm trying to decide if this would be a good ingredient to add to the soup," he answered. I simply cocked an eyebrow at the plant and then at him.

"That's poison ivy." He glared at the plant some more before incinerating it with a blast of fire and muttering under his breath the whole time. You could feel the frustration rolling off of him. He wasn't in his element out here, and it showed.

"If you can't even do the leaves of three thing, you're worse off then I thought," I said as I reached into a saddlebag and grabbed a small circular tin. Zuko plopped down next to the fire and folded his arms as he pouted.

"This is wrong. I am Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, I shouldn't be living off scraps from the road," he said.

"That right there is the kind of mindset you need to get rid of right now if you want to stay alive," I said as I opened the tin and dumped some of the seasonings inside into the metal pot that was suspended over the flames. The young firebender, however, wouldn't give up his grump tantrum so easily.

"I shouldn't have to live like a peasant." I grabbed up a pebble from beside the fire and threw it at him. It impacted him squarely in the forehead and sent him sprawling onto his backside. He wasn't down for long, as he was back up with fire in both his eyes and his fists.

"What did you do that for?!"

"Cause I'm tired of listening to your moaning. Your father cast you out and you are in a foreign land. You complain about having to live like a peasant? Wake up, you ARE a peasant now! The way you are right now no one would give a damn if you lived or died! It's time to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and do things for yourself, not Zuko the Prince, Zuko the person!" I snapped.

"My father…"

"Is a very shit example of the title. He doesn't love you, he doesn't care about you. The only thing you are to him is what you can do for him, and once that's done you're expendable," I interrupted.

"And how would you know?!"

"Because I've been a father," I said solemnly. My sudden change in tone seemed to have gotten his attention, because his anger seemed to melt into a cautious curiosity.

"Been. As in past tense," he stated. It wasn't a question.

"It's a long, sad, and somewhat pathetic tale that I'd rather not go into. My point is, Prince, that fathers are suppose to be examples for what their sons can look up to and become. They don't mark their children, not for any reason," I said, tapping my face just under my eye with the tip of a knife, indicating his scar. He fell into a deep silence at that. Apparently I had given him a lot to think about, because he stayed quiet all throughout the meal and barley touched his food.

"What is your plan for the future?" he finally asked.

"Like what? When the war ends or just what I intend to do later this week?"

"Where are you headed from here? This place, right now," he elaborated.

"I'm hunting someone, a thief. Problem is I don't have a description or an idea as to where they are headed," I answered after some personal debate. It's not like there was anything he could do to sabotage my mission. By this point I was up a creek, but had refused to admit I didn't have a paddle.

"There's a bounty hunter I know, she has this pet that can track someone's sent from long distances. She might be able to help you," Zuko said. Long distance tracking, based on smell alone? Maybe I wasn't without a paddle after all.

"You have my attention," I said.

* * *

Zuko and I parted ways with the rising of the morning sun. He was continuing east toward the desert, while I was headed north to find this bounty hunter of his. June, he said her name was. Granted the two hadn't kept in touch, but the Prince gave me her description and an area where she was last known to be operating.

Ordinarily I preferred to work alone. In this line of work, when large sums of money are on the table, it doesn't take long before people are literally stabbing each other in the back. But I was at the end of my rope here. My only other option was to stop at every house, inn, and town along the last known road my target had taken and ask every female present if the hair ribbon I had was there's. I figured my odds of getting shanked were a little less likely if I went with the teaming up approach.

I stopped at a few inns and taverns along the way, asking for the bounty hunter June. Each time I received a distasteful look, directions to another place further north, and a request to personally settle a score with her. By the fourth time, I was starting to get the impression of just what kind of woman June was. Brash, tough, unafraid to throw a punch or break a stool over someone's head.

In other words, she was sounding like my kind of woman.

Finally, I reached a rather large stand alone tavern along the roadside about a full days ride from where I had started. The place was a few stories tall, with holes in the roof and the walls. It would have looked like it was abandoned if not for all the lights inside. A few of the patrons were so piss drunk they couldn't even stand, and had resigned themselves to rolling around in the mud outside. I stepped over them as I made my way inside.

I've seen a lot of bars in my time. Drank several of them dry too. Some places managed to maintain a little class. This place? Not even close. Everyone who wasn't drunk was involved in some kind of gambling game. There were a few scantly clad women serving as dance entertainment. A short fight broke out near the bar, which ended when one of the men involved earthbent his opponent through an already busted window.

Toward the center of the room was a large cluster of people surrounding a man and a woman. The man was rather large, his arms being the size of trees and his belly being large enough to match. It was the woman, however, that caught my attention. She had a fair complexion, with black hair pulled into a top knot. Her clothing was black as well, but the sleeves were open on her upper arms, revealing a swirling red dragon tattoo on her shoulder.

The two of them were involved in a drinking game, based on the empty glasses around them and the ones they were both holding. While the man was swaying in his seat with a lopsided grin on his face, the woman was leaning forward onto the table between them with a sly, confidant smile. I folded my arms and watched as the man leaned back to take a large drink, and kept going, fully falling backwards out of his chair and passing out cold on the floor.

People all around them cheered as the woman stood and held her fist aloft in victory. Several coins, manly copper and silver, found their way onto the table and she was quick to gather them all up for herself. I pushed my way forward, one hand resting on the hilt of my sword while the other stayed close to my coin purse to insure it didn't get snatched.

"You June?" I asked.

"If you're thinking you can drink or arm wrestle me and win, you might as well just hand over all your money now, kid," she said, not even bothering to look away from her money.

"I'm here on business," I said.

"And what sort of business is that?"

"The kind where you stand to make a lot of gold, providing you're the woman I'm looking for," I said. She paused mid count on her coins when she heard the word gold. It was clear her main motivation was money.

"I might be, what's the job and how much does it pay?" she asked.

"Tracking. My employer is wanting the return of someone and the item they stole. Trouble is, only thing I have to go off of is this," I said, holding up the ribbon.

"And the payment?"

"Enough gold to compensate for all expenses, and then some added really fat bonuses if the person is returned unharmed along with the stolen object," I answered. I could tell she was interested. The promise of payment had certainly gotten her attention. There was some hesitation, however, something that didn't sit quite right with her.

"Who's the employer?" she asked. Ah, there it was. She'd noticed that I had neglected to mention an actual amount, and wanted to see who my employer was to find out if they were worth her time. Rather then an answer, I dropped a single dull brass token onto the table. It spun on it's end a few times before falling face up, revealing a flying boar with it's wings stretched upward. At the sight of that, June's eyes went wide with surprise.

"The Beifongs?!"

"That's right. Now, do you have the means to do this job or not?" I asked. June flipped one of her coins into the air and caught it.

"Trust me, pal, you came to the right woman."

"How do I know you're not lying your ass off to make a quick score?" I asked, folding my arms in the process. I didn't like liars and cheats. If I found out she was faking it just to get some gold, I'd cut her left hand off for theft. Not that she needed to know that, or had anything to worry about, providing she was telling the truth.

June finished collecting her money before standing and motioning for me to follow her. Outside, rubbing it's back on a tree like a large dog was a shishu. A massive rat like creature with brown and black fur, huge teeth, and a star like nose, shirshus are rare creatures valued for their ability to track the sent of anything almost anywhere. The venom they produce is also valued for its ability to leave people and creatures paralyzed. Now I knew why June was so good at her job.

"A shirshu," I said with pleasant surprise in my voice.

"Ah, you've seen one before?" June asked as she walked up and began to rub the beast's belly affectionately. The last time I had seen a shirshu was in the court of the Earth King. Not the current one, mind you, a few generations back or so if my memory served me right. The creature and it's rider had served as the King's personal tracker and agent. If the King wanted someone dead, he'd dispatch his rider to hunt down and kill that person.

Taming and training one of these things was a task that took years to accomplish, providing that you didn't get hit with it's tongue and then eaten when it decided to use your face as a snack. Personally I would have rather stuck with ostrich horses. They're way easier to maintain and train then an overgrown mole with no eyes.

"Once. A long time ago," I answered.

"This is Nyla. His nose can track a rat a continent away. Satisfied now, Ronin?" she asked. I looked the creature and his master up and down once more. I would much rather do the job on my own, but I didn't really have any other choice here.

"You'll get paid when I do. We split the profit fifty/fifty, deal?" I said, sticking out my hand to shake. June didn't even look like she bothered to think about it before grabbing my hand and shaking firmly.

"Deal." Taking the ribbon from me, June held it up to the creature's snout. Nyla sniffed it several times before it began to sniff the ground around us. Finally he raised his head, looking in an easterly direction with his teeth bared. Saliva dripped from the sharpened fangs as he let out a snarl like series of breaths.

"The sent is strong, we should move quickly," June said. I readjusted my hat and gave a half grin.

"Let's ride."

* * *

Ostrich horses, despite being these rather large and gangly creatures, are surprisingly fast and agile. They're able to maintain a fast and steady pace for hours on end, which was how I was able to keep up with June the whole time. The miles faded away as we raced eastward, Nyla snarling the entire time.

But, every creature has it's limits, and we were forced to stop at a small stream in order to let our mounts rest. We had ridden through most of the night without stopping, and now the morning sun was starting to rise before us. I pulled a few strips of jerky from my pack and passed them to June, who took them and ate them in silence.

"That's quite the sword you got there," she said. This was the first time since we'd left the tavern that either one of us had spoken.

"It serves it's purpose," I said, resting my hand on the hilt lazily. The katana was all black while in it's sheath. Only the guard on the grip, a decorative dragon that wound it's way around the sword's body, was a silver color.

"It must have cost a pretty penny," she said before tearing a strip of dried meat in half with her teeth. I shook my head slightly.

"Didn't cost me a copper piece," I said. She cocked her eyebrow at that.

"Oh, daddy's money then?"

"Nope. Made it myself. Besides, dad was a fisherman, couldn't have afforded a sharpened stick much less something like this," I answered, giving the weapon a good and proud pat. June just rolled her eyes.

"I've met your type before. A young, brash hotshot eager to prove himself. If you aren't careful, kid, the world will chew you up and spit you out like charred gristle," she said. It took every ounce of willpower I had not to laugh. The smile, through, that was impossible to keep off my face. She had absolutely no idea just how wrong everything she had guessed about me was.

"Something funny?" she asked, her eyes flaring with anger. She'd seen the look on my face and thought that I was laughing at her and disregarding her advice. Technically I was, just not for the reasons she thought.

"Yeah, just…something I was reminded of," I said, choosing my words carefully. Not that I was afraid of June, I was confident I could take her in a fight. But fighting her meant running the risk of her calling off her end of the partnership, and that was something I couldn't afford to have happen.

"I'm trying to give you valuable advice, and you're thinking of inside jokes?!" she asked, anger building in her voice.

"There's a lot more to me then what appears, June," I said. She snorted at that.

"That's what all kids say. You'll see soon enough, the world is a rough place that will just keep kicking you when you're down," she said. Now I was starting to get annoyed. I was older then her ancestors, and here she was treating me like I was a fresh face that had left home looking for adventure. Before I realized what was happening, I was face to face with her, my anger barely able to be controlled.

"I've seen more then you can possibly imagine, squirt, lay off with the life lessons," I hissed in warning.

"Or what?" she asked, refusing to back down, "without me, you don't find your target."

"Without me, you don't get paid," I countered. For a moment, it looked like a blood vessel would explode in her temple. Then, she huffed out a sigh and looked down.

"Fighting isn't beneficial for either of us. We should get moving," she said. I gave her a short, crisp nod of agreement, but otherwise kept my jaw clenched. Mounting up again, we continued our race eastward as we tried to run down the thief.

It was mid afternoon when we stopped in a small village on the edge of the desert. Nyla entered the town square and began circling, sniffing the air. People screamed and ran in terror, but June ignored them as she studied the actions of her mount closely.

"The target spent a lot of time here. We're close," June reported. A couple of men took notice of us and started our way. They were big, muscly types, but only one of them had a weapon, indicating that his partner was a bender.

"What are you two up to?" the one with a weapon, a dao sword, asked.

"We're tracking someone, mind your own business," June replied.

"You're strangers. Strangers don't last long here. So we're making it our business," the man said as his hand fell to his sword. I looked back and forth between the two before swinging a leg over the side of my mount and sliding off of it. Both of them quickly shifted their focus to me.

"That's far enough, youngster," the unarmed man said, raising his hands into a bending stance.

"Look, fellas, we're just passing through. There's no reason for violence," I tried to reason.

"We don't trust bounty hunters around here," the first man replied. Oh well, can't say I didn't try. I let out a sigh as my hands fell to my own sword.

"Shame." Like a cobra, I struck first, drawing my sword as I lunged toward the bender. I was upon him before he could react, slicing off his right hand with a single swing before turning on the balls of my feet in a full three sixty turn. My blade followed suit, slitting his throat in the process. I came to a halt, facing the other man with my sword at the ready. Behind me, his partner fell to the ground, his still intact hand trying to clench at his throat.

The swordsman before me had his eyes go wide with surprise and shock. This quickly gave way to rage as he yanked his own sword free and charged me with a yell, fully intending to burry his sword in my skull. I sidestepped him, swiped at his exposed side with my sword, before reversing my grip on my weapon and stabbing backwards. The result was my blade fully impaling him from behind before he even realized what had happened.

With his yell devolving into a strangled cry, the swordsman dropped his blade before he collapsed to the street, joining his companion in death. I twirled my sword back into a ready stance, waiting for another attack. When I was satisfied that another wasn't coming, I resheathed my sword. June looked on at me with her mouth agape, which didn't escape my notice.

"I told you there was a lot more to me then what appears," I said. She closed her mouth, but otherwise remained silent. It was pretty clear she was reevaluating her initial assumptions about me.

At that moment a set of doors on a nearby stable burst open. A massive green eel hound pounced out of doors and skidded to a halt a short distance away. Sitting atop it's massive, yet slim and powerful frame was a young woman.

Her hair was short and dark in color, coming down to her shoulders while her skin was a slightly tanned pale complexion. Upon seeing us, her already wild green eyes went wide. She yanked on the reigns, turning her mount away from us before kicking her heels into it's flanks. The eel hound yet out a yowl like noise before taking off at a high rate of speed.

"Shit!" June exclaimed before grabbing her whip and cracking it. Instantly Nyla bounded after them, shooting his tongue out to try and hit the creature before it got too far away. Instead, the tongue struck a bystander, causing the man to go limp and fall to the ground. Then, just like that, the eel hound and it's rider were gone, having vanished into a cloud of dust.

"An eel hound. Now that she knows we're after her we'll never be able to run her down," I said. Shirshus and ostrich horses may be able to cover long distances quickly, but neither of them hold a candle to the overland speed of an eel hound.

"Nyla still has the scent. She can run, but she'll have to stop for a break eventually," June replied. The hunting part was over, now the chase began.

 **And cut! So, the chase begins. How will all this play out I wonder. Remember, I want to hear from you guys. Drop reviews, leave PMs, find out someway to either do that or ask a question or ten, and I'll see you all next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, I'm back with a new chapter. This one is a little short, but I figured it was time to get it out and quit stalling, so here it is.**

The thief's trail led east, to the edge of the desert. We may not have been fast enough to keep up, but Nyla never lost the trail. That was our plan, to hound the girl until she finally hit the wall. Although at this rate, she might actually hit the Wall of Ba Sing Se before she gave up or gave out. Neither June nor I was ready to give up the chase. We'd both experienced worse before, and the money was too good to pass up on.

"She's close," June reported as we entered a small village and the shirshu began to sniff around. I tugged on the reigns slightly and ran my tounge over my cracked lips. Despite the face that it was still early spring, the temperature had been steadily climbing as we got closer to the giant sand box known as the Si Wong.

"I doubt she's crazy enough to try and cross the desert directly, even with an eel hound," I said.

"Girl knows how to handle herself, I'll give you that. Crazy part, though, jury is still out on that one," June replied. I hummed in agreement. The villagers watched us from their windows and doorways, fearful, yet curious. I kept an eye on them, but only barely. They weren't that much of a threat to us. The target was more of a worry than some villagers who had no quarrel with us.

Nyla came to a halt in the village square and began to circle. I brought my mount to a halt and watched the creature curiously. After about a minute, he stopped and began to sniff upwards toward the sky. June frowned at this, which in turn made me frown. She knew the shirshu far better than I did, and if she didn't like something about his behavior, I didn't either.

"Look out!" June suddenly yelled, her eyes going wide and her hand snatching up her whip. I ducked out of pure instinct, leaning sideways in the saddle and just barely dodging the throwing knife that would have otherwise imbedded itself in-between my shoulder blades. Unfortunately, the blade continued on its course and buried itself in the back of my ostrich horse's head.

The bird mount gave a surprised squawk before it's entire body went slack, toppling onto it's side in the dirt. I went with it, and found myself laying on my side with my right leg pinned beneath it's body. The air was forced from my lungs by the impact, and my hat fell from my head and rolled a short distance away.

Looking up, I spotted the thief landing in a roll before taking off at a sprint. She had been on the rooftop of a building behind me, and had jumped down to ground level after killing my mount. The sound of a whip cracking filled the air as I struggled to free my leg. June was going after the target, and Nyla's teeth were bared and dripping with saliva.

The thief made to throw another knife, but this time she didn't have the element of surprise. Nyla's tounge snapped forward like a whip of it's own, striking the thief on the side of the neck. Instantly her body went limp, and she hit the dirt like a sack of potatoes. Managing to get my leg free, I limped over to where the girl had fallen, drawing my sword and pointing the tip at her in the process.

"End of the road, thief," I said with venom in my voice. Ordinarily I didn't take jobs personally. But this woman had tried to kill me, killed my ostrich horse, and nearly broke my leg in the process. Needless to say, I was a little upset.

"Is it? It's a long way back to Gaoling," she replied.

"That it is. And you're going to hate every second of it."

* * *

Gaoling was a fairly large town situated in the Southern Earth Kingdom. Due to it's strategic unimportance, it had been overlooked by Fire Nation forces and mainly left alone. That didn't mean it was out of reach of the imperialist onslaught. Sooner or later, a hungry and greedy General would bring his men to bare against the town, mainly to add another tax income source to their country if not anything else.

But for now, life went on in this town much as it always had. Quiet and boring with people bustling around the market during the day. So when we rode through the market on the way to the Beifong Estate, it turned quite a few heads. A woman and a man riding on a large furry creature with another woman hog tied and slung over the back of the saddle.

The Thief had tried to escape every chance she got. She slipped her binds on more then one occasion, tried to slide like a worm on her belly while we were sleeping once or twice, set herself on fire trying to burn through the ropes, shouted that she was being kidnapped at a passing troop of soldiers, and even threw herself off the saddle and rolled down a cliff face while she was still tied up. Needless to say, June had been forced to giving her a shot of venom from Nyla every few hours just to keep her paralyzed.

Arriving at the Beifong estate, I slid down from Nyla and slung the thief over my shoulder before walking up to the gate. I banged my foot against it a few times before standing back and waiting patiently. After a few minutes, a guard opened the gate, and seemed surprised to me.

"I got a delivery for Lao Beifong," I said. The guard eyed myself and June before he opened the gate a little wider.

"This way, please," he said. I sent a glance back to June before following the guard inside. June dismounted and followed me as well. Together we were led into a large room. It was almost designed like a throne room, with Lao and Poppy Beifong sitting in two large chairs in order to greet their guests. When we were presented to the couple, I unceremoniously dropped the Thief at their feet.

"Your Thief, as requested," I said. Poppy gasped and covered her mouth in shocked horror.

"Mai? How could you?" she asked the thief, obviously recognizing her.

"Did she have it?" Lao asked, ignoring his wife. Without speaking, I produced a small metal golden circle about the size of a small plate and tossed it to him. He caught it and ran a hand over the engraved flying boar that was present.

"The Beifong Seal is back in it's appropriate home," he said with satisfaction in his voice. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"Now, about your payment," he continued as he sat the Seal to the side.

"We'll split it in half. Half to myself and half to my partner here," I said, motioning toward June. Lao held up a finger.

"I have a counter offer for you. A way to double your money, if you so wish," he said. I glanced at June, who did the same to me.

"What are you offering?" I asked.

"The Avatar has kidnapped my daughter. If you can bring her back. I will double your payments," he said. I hesitated. The temptation of more money was certainly there, but at the same time I just wanted to get paid and get on with my life.

"Do you have a description we can work with?" June asked. Lao leaned forward and handed us a small portrait. It depicted himself and his wife, along with a small black haired girl between the two of them.

"Her name is Toph. Please, she's only twelve years old, and she's blind," Poppy said.

"Why would the Avatar kidnap a blind girl?" I couldn't help but wonder out loud.

"He wanted her to be his earthbending teacher. I don't know why. Our daughter is blind, fragile and helpless," Lao said. My frown remained as I looked over the family portrait again. There was something they weren't telling us.

"No deal," I said before returning the picture to them. Everyone in the room looked at me in shock. They had all been sure that I was going to take the new job.

"But.." Lao started.

"Give June the job, if she wants it. Me, I'll take my half and be on my way," I said. Lao seemed disappointed, but motioned for a servant to bring me the money I was owed all the same. After receiving my payment, I tipped the brim of my hat to the Beifongs before turning and showing myself out. I was turning down a lot of money, sure, but I had also seen this kind of scam pulled before. If someone else came back with their daughter before I did, I automatically forfeited on all payments they owed me. Besides, getting involved in family issues was something I preferred to avoid.

I found myself standing outside of the estate's gate, tossing the coin purse I had in my hand up and down as I considered what I wanted to do next. Going west or north meant going into occupied territory. Heading east meant heading into the desert regions and more lawless areas of the Kingdom. Either way, some form of adventure was sure to be found.

"I'm surprised, you're turning down a lot of money," June said as she appeared next to me.

"A good gambler knows when to walk away from a game," I replied. She gave a hum before tossing her own sack of coins into the air and catching it.

"On that we can agree. So what happens now?" she asked.

"Now we do what we want. I'm headed east again, seeing what I can find in the badlands," I said.

"Alright. I guess I'll head north. There's a few village taverns still that don't know to keep me out," she said with a smirk. We clasped arms in a form of a handshake before she swung up onto Nyla's back and was off. I watched her go for a short time before turning and heading off in my own direction, alone once again.

 _Tu Zin. One Week Later._

I glanced about the abandoned town with a wary eye, leaning on a walking staff and readjusting the rucksack slung over my shoulder. The wooden buildings were in disarray as a result of having sat abandoned for years. It wasn't the decay that I was studying, it was the other damage. There were several scorch marks and upheaved areas in the street. A battle had taken place here between benders. Not soldiers of opposing armies. No, these were masters of their respective elements duking it out.

Following the trail of battle through the town led me to a single spot near the center. Here the ground was disturbed in a different manner. This wasn't the work of an earthbender. Someone had fallen and then been dragged off. This person was heavy, much heavier then the person who was doing the dragging, that much was clear.

In equal parts curiosity and concern, I followed this trail out of the town and up onto a ridge overlooking the valley it was built in. Here, I found an abandoned cabin, and another surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko asked, his fists raised in preparation to throw fire. I looked past him to the dark interior of the cabin.

"Following tracks, Prince. Who's inside?" I asked.

"My Uncle. He's hurt badly." There was a moment of silence between us before I motioned toward him.

"Well, you gonna move or stand there like a bending statue all day?" I asked. Zuko seemed to hesitate for a moment before he lowered his fists and stood to the side. I stepped into the gloom of the shack and lowered my hat so that it was resting on my shoulder blades. Laying spread out on a bedroll was an older man with gray hair and a beard. Despite the somewhat ragged clothing he wore, the man had a rather plump belly, indicating that he had enjoyed the finer things in life in his more recent years.

I leaned my staff and rucksack against the wall before taking a knee next to Zuko's Uncle. He'd taken a blast of fire to the chest, and from the looks of things the inexperienced Prince had been doing his best to patch him up. For an amateur, he wasn't half bad.

"The good news is he'll live, but he's going to be in pain for a few days after he wakes up," I said as I looked over the wound as gently as I could. I'd seen several wounds like this during my time in the Army. This poor man was going to have it rough when he came back to the land of the living.

"Have you been following me?" Zuko asked.

"No, I told you I was following tracks. I'm guessing you guys got into a scuffle in town and then you dragged your Uncle here," I answered.

"So you were just passing through." I rocked my head side to side.

"Pretty much. I was headed to Misty Palms Oasis. It's a small hub on the edge of the desert about a day's ride north of here," I explained.

"You seem to be lacking in that area," Zuko said, noting the absence of my mount.

"Yeah. The whole 'day's ride' thing might be closer to two on foot," I said. By now, the Prince had a small fire going with a tea pot sitting over it. I crossed over to it and crouched next to the flames. He was adding a few ingredients to the tea before using his bending to give a small boost to the fire.

"Do you know of anything we can give him to help the pain when he wakes up?" Zuko asked. I glanced back at the old man for a moment.

"I might have some herbs that could help. Maybe a root that can be added to the tea," I said. Zuko retrieved my rucksack from across the room and handed it to me.

"So how did it go with June?" he asked as I began to dig through the bag.

"Pretty profitable, actually. We both walked away with half of the reward money. She's not bad on the eyes either. I might work with her again," I said.

"She does know how to get results," Zuko confessed as I came up with a small round tin container. Moving over to the tea pot, I removed the lid and took a sniff of the steaming liquid inside. I shook my head and leaned back, blinking as jasmine and ginger overwhelmed my senses.

"Moderation, Prince. A little goes a long way," I said as I picked up the pot and poured the tea out of a window. He gave me a look of offense and annoyance, but I ignored him as I started to make a new pot from scratch. It wasn't long before Zuko's Uncle began to stir, reacting to the fresh sent of tea that was slowly filling the cabin.

The man groaned as he slowly sat up. He looked around, taking in his surroundings as tried to figure out where he was. His gaze lingered a little longer on me, sizing me up before turning his full attention to his nephew.

"Uncle, you were unconscious. Azula did this to you. It was a surprise attack," Zuko explained.

"Somehow that's not so surprising," came the reply with a groan as he readjusted himself so that he was sitting against the wall. Zuko waited until his Uncle was settled before handing him a cup of tea.

"I hope we meet your expectations," he said. The man took a sip of the tea before his face brightened slightly.

"This is good. The jasmine really comes out. Tell me, Zuko, who is your friend who knows the ways of tea?" he asked.

"Uncle this is Ryou. We traveled together for a few days a couple of weeks back," Zuko said. I stood and extended my hand, which he shook with a surprisingly strong grip.

"Call me Iroh," he said with a warm smile. My own smile faltered as recognition of the name registered somewhere in my head. This didn't escape the old man's notice.

"Is something wrong?" he asked as I crouched in front of him.

"Forgive me. It's just that…that's a name I recognize. You wouldn't happen to be the one they call the Dragon of the West, would you?" I asked.

"You know of me?" he asked curiously. His voice didn't contain any hint of hostility or defensiveness, just a simple case of curiosity.

"Of you, yes. Until a short time ago I was a soldier in the Earth Kingdom Army. I was at Ba Sing Se for the six hundred days you paid it a visit," I explained. Iroh frowned and looked down into his cup.

"That was an unfortunate set of events for everyone involved. All of us lost someone during those long days," he said.

"Indeed. Strange how fate is, having two former enemies meet again in a situation like this," I said. He nodded his head in agreement and gave a small smile.

"Quite."

"Uncle, I've been thinking. We're going to run into Azula again, and I'm going to need more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're thinking: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her," Zuko said, taking this moment to bring up his thoughts. Both Iroh and I shared a glance. Although we had only just met, you could tell we were thinking the exact same thing.

"No, she's crazy and she needs to go down," he replied. Zuko looked surprised at this, but I was already nodding in agreement.

"Never met her, but I've seen her handiwork both here and down in the village. She's not one to be left running around on the loose," I said. With that, Iroh sat aside his cup and pushed himself to his feet with a groan.

"It's time to resume your training."

 **And cut. Ryou is traveling with Iroh and Zuko now. How till things turn out, considering some details of Ryou's past? Remember to read, review, let me know what you guys liked or didn't like, and I'll see you all next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, I'm back with a long overdue chapter. You didn't think I had given up on this one, did you? Anyway, on with the story:**

I stood a short distance away, leaning on my walking staff as I watched Iroh instruct Zuko. It had been a long time since I had seen any kind of firebending training, and it was interesting to see how much the art had changed since the war began. Iroh's method of teaching seemed to be an art form by itself. Fire is the most aggressive element, yet he wasn't using aggression at all.

"There is energy all around us. The energy is both Yin and Yang, positive energy and negative energy. Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance, and in the moment the positive and negative energies come crashing back together, you provide release and guidance, creating lightning," Iroh instructed before he gave Zuko a motion to stand back.

The Prince took a few steps backwards as the old man began to move his arms in wide circular arcs. His movements were graceful, despite the extent of his injuries and bandages. Both Zuko and I watched in fascination as lighting began to build up around Iroh's fingertips. He did a few more circles before pointing his two fingers out over the cliffside. A massive bolt of lightning shot up into the sky, and thunder shook the ground around us.

"I'm ready to try it," Zuko said the instant the thunder died away. Iroh eased himself out of the stance he had been in and rubbed his bandaged shoulder.

"Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. You are merely it's humble guide. Breathe first," he instructed. Zuko nodded before taking a deep breath. He began to repeat the same movements Iroh had been using, only lacking in the electricity around his fingertips. After a moment, he extended his arm, fully expecting to release a bolt of lightning.

Instead, the air in front of his face exploded.

Zuko was launched backwards several feet from the blast, landing flat on his back next to Iroh. I'm not going to lie, it looked painful. That didn't stop me from snickering to myself at the sight. I'll give the kid credit though, he didn't give up. Instead he got right back up and tried again, and again, and again.

Iroh and I moved to the shade of the shack, watching as Zuko tried and failed yet again to bend lightning. I frowned as I watched him get back to his feet and make another attempt. There was a scowl on his face, meaning he was getting more frustrated with every failure. According to Iroh, the ability to bend lightning required a calm mind. That was something Zuko most definitely did not have.

"He's too wound up to do it," I muttered. Iroh only hummed in agreement as another explosion knocked Zuko flat on his ass.

"Why can't I do it?! Instead of lightning, it keeps exploding in my face, like everything always does!" he fumed.

"I was afraid of this," Iroh said as he got back to his feet, "you will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside yourself."

"What turmoil?!" Zuko yelled.

"Seriously?" I deadpanned.

"Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away," Iroh said calmly, ignoring me.

"But I don't feel any shame at all, I'm as proud as ever," Zuko countered. I rolled my eyes. The idiot was still having trouble with humility. I'd have to deal with that later.

"Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but it's source. True humility is the antidote to shame," Iroh said. I wouldn't have worded it quite like that, but yeah, what Iroh said.

"Well, my life has been nothing but humbling lately," Zuko said.

"Yeah, and clearly it's taken root," I said sarcastically. The Prince glared at me, but I just cocked my eyebrows at him. After the incident back in the village with the soldiers, part of me doubted if he even knew the meaning of the word.

"I have another idea," Iroh said, "I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I made it up myself." That brought a smile to the young man's face. Between that, and the cocky grin that Iroh had, I simply had to see what the Dragon of the West had in mind.

It started with another lecture. Iroh had Zuko take a seat before barrowing my walking staff to draw in the dirt. I also noticed that he was putting a lot of his weight on it when he wasn't drawing. He was getting tired from his injuries, but kept soldiering on despite it. I found my respect for the man growing because of that.

"Fire is the element of power," he began, drawing the symbol of the Fire Nation into the dust, "the people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and power to achieve what they want." With that done he moved above the Fire symbol and began to draw a new one, the symbol of the Earth Kingdom.

"Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring," he said. With this done, he moved back down to the side of the Fire symbol and began to draw a few swirls into the dirt. I recognized this as the old symbols of the Air Nomads.

"Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom. Also they apparently had pretty good senses of humor," he said, ending with a large grin. Zuko remained unphaised, while I made a rocking motion with my hand.

"Eh, kind of. Depended on the Temple and how devout to their ways they were. No one beat them in pie making, I'll give that," I said. They both gave me owlish looks as an awkward silence descended upon us. After a few moments, Iroh went back to drawing, this time above the air swirls and next to the Earth symbol. It was the symbol of the Water Tribe.

"Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything," he said.

"Why are you telling me these things?" Zuko asked curiously.

"It is important to take wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes ridged and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole," Iroh answered, drawing a circle around the four elemental symbols.

"All of this four elements talk is sounding like Avatar stuff," the Prince noted.

"It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful. But it can make you more powerful too," Iroh said, poking Zuko in the chest with the tip of the staff, "you see the technique I'm about to teach you is one I learned by studying the waterbenders." Zuko's eyes lit up in curiosity, and it wasn't long before the two were up and moving through a new set of motions.

It wasn't the quick movements of firebending, but rather more of a flowing motion like waterbending. I recognized some of the basic movements. Iroh must have watched some waterbenders and then developed this from there, something which I had to admit I found impressive. A smart person studies the movements of their opponent, a wise one adapts them to their own advantage.

"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. A waterbender lets their defense become their offense, turning their opponent's energy against them. I learned a way to do this with lightning," Iroh said.

"You can teach me to redirect lightning?" Zuko asked with amazement as the realization of what his Uncle was saying came down on him.

"If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You must create a pathway from your fingertips, up your arm to your shoulder, then down into your stomach. The stomach is a source of energy in your body, it is called the sea of chi. Only in my case it's more like a vast ocean," Iroh said, tracing out the movements on his body before laughing at his own joke. Before either one of us got a chance to reply, he went back to his lesson.

"From the stomach, you direct it up again and out the other arm. The stomach detour is critical, you must not let the lightning pass through your heart, or the damage could be deadly," he continued, jabbing Zuko in the center of his chest to get his point across. With that, the two began to move through the movements of his technique. They traced the energy path across their own bodies, in the fingertips, down to the stomach, and out the other arm.

I studied the movements closely as they moved through them, watching and memorizing every detail. I'd seen some masters in the days of old preform a similar style of technique to direct heat, but never something like lightning. This was something new and impressive to say the least.

"Excellent, you've got it," Iroh finally said as the sun was half set over the mountains to the west.

"Great, I'm ready to try with real lightning," Zuko said enthusiastically. Iroh's eyebrows went up in surprise.

"What, are you crazy? Lightning is very dangerous," he said.

"I thought that was the point, you teaching me how to protect myself from it," Zuko countered.

"Yeah, but I'm not going to shoot lightning at you! If you're lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all," Iroh said before turning away. In the distance, some black storm clouds boiled over the mountains. Thunder echoed like a beckoning call.

"If you won't help me, I'll find my own lightning," Zuko said before mounting the ostrich horse and riding off toward the storm at a fast pace. Iroh sighed as he watched his nephew go, knowing that nothing he said would be able to turn the young man from his course.

"He is one of the most stubborn people I have ever met," I said.

"It has been both a survival mechanism and the source of many mistakes," Iroh replied.

"I'm sure he'll come back in one piece."

"If anyone can come back, it is Prince Zuko. I just wish he wasn't so reckless sometimes," he said. I waited a moment before placing my hand on his good shoulder.

"Would you like some tea, General?" I asked. The gray haired man smiled up at me.

"I would be delighted.

It didn't take Iroh long to get the tea going. In fact, the small fire for the water hadn't been put out all day, indicating that he had kept it going all day despite the risk of it burning the shack down. He went about adding the different ingredients to the tea in a cheerful manner, but I could tell there was an underlying sense of worry for his young nephew.

"So tell me about yourself, where are you from?" Iroh asked as he poured the tea into a small pot.

"The Katso Peninsula," I answered.

"I'm not sure if I have heard of that place before," he said before handing me a cup filled with the steaming liquid.

"These days it's called Kyoshi Island."

"Ah. Prince Zuko paid that Island a visit some months back," Iroh said.

"Considering the fact that you're both here and alive, I'd say it wasn't a full invasion."

"The Warriors of Kyoshi were some formidable opponents. I pity the person who ever attempts such a thing." We sat in silence after that, enjoying our tea. After a while, I began to notice the signs that Iroh had a question for me, but felt unsure in asking it.

"Do you want to know something?" I asked.

"I must confess a curiosity to your age. Physically, you don't appear to be much older then my nephew. But your words and mannerisms all suggest that you are much older. And then there are your eyes," he said.

"They say that eyes are windows to the soul," I said.

"I see a very old soul behind those windows. Tell me, how does someone so young have eyes so old?" he asked. I sat in silence for a long time, staring at the flames of the small fire under the teapot, debating whether or not I should tell him the truth. Almost no one who did learn my story believed me. It was simply too fantastical to believe. In the end I was usually written off as being insane, and given a wide berth as a result. But Iroh, there seemed to be something different about him.

"Have you ever heard of a Ningyo, General?" I finally asked. He rubbed his beard in thought as he nursed his cup of tea.

"Only in legend, I'm afraid. A creature with the head of a monkey and the body of a fish that brings bad luck to those who capture it, if I recall correctly," he said. I nodded in conformation.

"That's a fairly accurate description," I said.

"So how does a legend such as that become entwined within your story?" he asked.

"Those who eat the flesh of a Ningyo become cursed," I explained, "that curse is life."

"Life is full of many hardships, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a curse," he said.

"Yes, but what makes life so special is the fact that it ENDS. When you take away that aspect what are you left with?" I asked. Iroh sat in silence, not coming up with an answer.

"Life becomes a curse when you are forced to go on beyond your time. When you watch all of your friends and loved ones wither and die, when you watch things that were built during your childhood crumble to dust, when you become a living relic in a world that no longer has any use for you, THAT is when life becomes a curse," I continued. We settled into a silence, lightly sipping on our tea and looking at the flames under the tea pot.

Zuko came back later that evening, and we ate a small meal, after which we all went off to bed. No one was really in the mood to talk, and so we were content with the somewhat awkward silence that had settled over us. We broke camp and set off at first light, heading north toward the edge of the desert.

The going was slow, considering the fact that I was on foot while Zuko and Iroh were on their mount. But despite this, we were making good time. The land became more arid, more and more desert plant life such as cactus began to surround us as we continued on. A sure fire sigh that we were getting closer to the desert, and the safety of Ba Sing Se beyond that.

That is, until Iroh's groans started.

The old man had been making little grunts and groans as we went, which were only increasing in frequency. As this continued, Zuko's scowl deepened, a sign that the young prince was starting to become highly annoyed at his uncle's antics.

"Maybe we should make camp," he finally suggested. After having walked all day, I wasn't about to complain.

"No, please, don't stop just for me," Iroh said, trying to show that he wasn't as bad as he was making out. This was immediately countered by the loud and dramatic groan he let out after he'd finished speaking. Zuko responded by yanking back on the reigns, bringing the ostrich horse to a halt. Iroh was off in a flash, sitting on a large rock and rubbing his shoulder. I happily sat next to him, savoring the feeling of relief that ran through my feet.

It didn't last, as the ostrich horse perked up in alarm. Instantly, Zuko fell into a bending stance, looking the direction the bird hybrid was. I felt the hair stand on the back of my neck and was instantly on my feet as well, hand gripping the hilt of my sword in preparation to draw it.

"What now?" Iroh asked in a tired, annoyed tone. From the trees around us came five men, each of them riding a kimono rhino and wielding a different weapon of some sort. They were Fire Nation based upon the color of their clothing.

"Colonel Monkey, what a pleasant surprise!" Iroh said as he got to his feet, his attitude having done a complete reversal. The old man's face had brightened considerably as he looked upon what I assumed were old friends of his.

"If you're surprised we're here then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps," a man with a nose ring and feathers on the crown of his head replied.

"You know these guys?" Zuko asked as each of the men began to ready their weapons.

"Sure. Colonel Monkey and the Rough Rhinos are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapons specialist. They are also a very capable singing group," Iroh replied. My grip tightened on my sword. I'd heard of these guys. Almost everyone in the Earth Kingdom Army had.

The Rough Rhinos were known to operate around the front lines in the south and west. They were used primarily as a terror tactic by the Fire Nation, raiding and burning down Earth Kingdom controlled towns and villages before slipping off again. Needless to say, the bounty on each one of these guys' heads was quite high.

With conformation on who these guys were, I focused my attention on the nearest rider. Out of the five, he was the only one wearing a helmet, which had a visor that covered his entire face. He was also strapped to the nines with all kinds of explosives.

"I believe the term you're looking for is infamous, General," I said, to which Iroh gave a simple innocent shrug.

"We're not here to give a concert, we're here to apprehend fugitives," the Colonel replied.

"Would you like some tea first? I'd love some," Iroh said, his happy tone not changing.

"Enough stalling, round them up!" the Colonel ordered. Immediately I went into action, drawing my sword and charging the explosive guy. I was on his rhino before he could react, swinging my sword. His helmet, with his head still inside, bounced away on the rocky ground with a clang. With a quick kick, I knocked the now headless body from the saddle and immediately took it's place.

Grabbing the reigns, I turned the rhino around and charged toward the group's archer with my sword held high. He was forced to shift his aim, switching from Zuko to me as I suddenly became the more pressing threat. A flaming arrow was shot my way, which I slapped out of the air with my sword. Zuko responded by firing a small fire bolt. It passed through the body of the bow, and snapped the draw sting in the process.

The archer had a look of stunned surprise on his face, but this didn't last very long as I was upon him a second later. I slashed at him, leaving him to fall from the saddle with a rather large gash across the front of his chest and stomach. Iroh easily handled the remaining three riders before swinging up into the saddle off the ostrich horse. Zuko climbed up after him, and the three of us were headed down the road at a very fast pace a second later.

"It's nice to see old friends," the old man said with a sly grin as he looked back at the carnage we had just done.

"Too bad you don't have any old friends that don't want to attack you," Zuko said. A thoughtful look crossed Iroh's face.

"Hm. Old friends that don't want to attack me," he said to himself.

* * *

It was late afternoon when we arrived in Misty Palms Oasis. The name is deceiving, there is no mist, there are no palm trees, and there is barely an oasis. All there is are a few buildings and a cantina which made up the entirety of the settlement. Well, more of an outpost really. Misty Palms was pretty much one of the last places travelers could restock before heading into the desert.

Inside the cantina, we chose a small table in a corner and sat, getting some of the local drink to tide us over. Both Iroh and Zuko had put on their rice hats, making them blend in a little easier.

"No one here is going to help us, these people look like filthy wanderers," the Prince said.

"You haven't bathed in four days and your main travel destination has been 'east' for the past month. What does that make you, by definition?" I asked a little hotly. Zuko's attitude was starting to annoy me a little. Iroh raised his hand.

"Peace, Ryou. I think I have found our friend," he said, his attention focused on a middle aged man sitting alone at a Pai Sho table across the barroom from us.

"You brought us here to gamble on Pai Sho?" Zuko asked as Iroh stood.

"I don't think this is a gamble," the old man replied as he started across the room. Zuko looked at me, and I shrugged in response. Together we stood and went to follow Iroh across the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a man spring out of his chair. His friend put his hand on his shoulder and talked him back down. However their gaze never left us, and I found my hand inching toward my sword.

"May I have this game?" Iroh asked as he approached the middle aged man. He looked up at us before motioning toward the seat opposite of him.

"The guest has the first move," he answered. Iroh took the seat and immediately placed a single tile in the very center of the board. I moved around to the opposite side of the board from Zuko so I could watch the game better, and so I could keep an eye on the guys in the corner.

"I see you favor the White Lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways," the man said before bowing his head and opening his hands together with the palms facing upward.

"Those who do can always find a friend," Iroh replied, returning the gesture.

"Then let us play." Zuko took a seat, and I leaned against the wall, watching as the two men began to place different tiles at different points of the board. They kept going, until they had formed a much larger version of the White Lotus out of the entire board.

"Welcome brother, the White Lotus opens wide to those who know it's secrets," the man said.

"What are you old, gas bags talking about?" Zuko asked.

"Don't you know a secret handshake when you see one, Prince?" I asked. He looked at Iroh, who had a smile on his face.

"I always try to tell you that Pai Sho is more than just a game," Iroh answered cryptically before flipping a Pai Sho tile through his fingers like it was a coin. Across the room, the two men who had been watching us finally made their move. They stood and crossed the room, heading straight for us.

"Enough! You two fugitives are coming with me!" the man who was leading them yelled. Instantly Iroh's game mate was on his feet and between us and them.

"I knew it, you three are wanted fugitives with giant bounties on your heads," the man said loudly.

"I thought you said he would help!" Zuko hissed angrily.

"He is, just watch," Iroh replied, placing a calming hand on his nephew's shoulder.

"You think you're going to take them and collect all that gold?" the man asked loudly again, turning on the two men. Instantly every head in the bar turned and looked at the two men who had been advancing on us. It all went down hill from there, as a full on bar fight erupted. One of the onlookers jumped into the fray with a knife, intending to stab at one of the pair. A rock to the stomach sent him stumbling my way.

I drove my fist into the guy's jaw, knocking him out cold in the process. He turned and fell into the Pai Sho table we had just been sitting at, smashing it and sending tiles flying through the air. I made a motion to the others, and together we fled the cantina while everyone else was distracted. The man Iroh had played with led us toward the outlying buildings of the settlement, and into a flower shop of all things.

Once we were inside, he double checked behind us before closing the door, insuring that we weren't followed. I lowered my hat and looked about the shop. Personally, I thought that a flower shop being used as a front for an organization with the word Lotus in it's title was a little too on the nose, but that's just me.

"It is an honor to meet such a high ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus. Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets," he said before leading us toward the back of the shop.

"Now that you've played Pai Sho, are you going to do some flower arranging or is someone in this club going to offer some real help?" Zuko asked. I smacked him upside the back of the head, and gave him a glare when he turned to me in rage. Him being rude wasn't something I was going to tolerate.

"You must forgive my nephew," Iroh said, ignoring us, "he is not an initiate, and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts." Our new friend nodded in understanding as we came to a halt before another door. He knocked twice on the door, and a small slot opened in the middle immediately afterward.

"Who knocks at the garden gate?" a voice asked from the other side.

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted it's mysteries," Iroh replied. The door opened, and he and our new friend filed inside. Zuko went to go after them, but was stopped when the door slammed closed in his face. The slot in the door opened again, revealing Iroh.

"I'm afraid it's members only. You two should wait out here," he said before sliding the slot closed again. Zuko looked a little frustrated at being left out, but folded his arms and leaned against a post regardless. I pulled a hunk of jerky from my pack, tore it in half, and tossed him one of the halves. He gave me a nod of thanks before he started to nibble on the dried meat. None of us had eaten since the previous night, and it was starting to show.

"What do you think they're talking about in there?" he asked. I gave a half shrug.

"You never know with these secret societies. It's best we just keep our mouths shut and see what happens," I answered. The sun was rising by the time Iroh's meeting came to an end. I had settled down onto a large overturned pot, while Zuko had dosed off leaning against the pole. As soon as the door opened, the Prince was awake and in a bending stance, acting like he had been on guard all night.

"What's going on? Is the club meeting over?" he asked as he rose out of his stance. Iroh and the shop owner bowed to each other.

"Everything is taken care of. We are headed to Ba Sing Se," Iroh answered with a warm smile.

"Ba Sing Se? Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom Capital?" Zuko asked.

"The city is filled with refugees, no one will notice three more," the shop owner said.

"We can hide in plain sight there, and it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation," Iroh added, "even I couldn't break through to the city."

"I can vouch for him on that," I said. At that moment, the door to the shop opened, and a much younger man came in.

"I'm sorry, but I was only able to get two passports for our guests. Also there are two men outside, looking for them," he said. Iroh frowned at that.

"Hm, that puts a damper in our plans. Unless you don't mind being left behind, Ryou," he said. I waved the old General off.

"Don't worry about me. I got a passport when I was discharged," I said.

"Now, about the problem with our unwanted admirers."

"We should split up and meet at the ferry. It'll be easier to give any unwanted attention the slip," I suggested.

"We can smuggle you two out using the plants," the shop owner added, motioning toward Iroh and Zuko.

"But what about him?" Zuko asked, gesturing to me.

"They're looking for you, not me. Give me an ostrich horse, and I'll make my own way," I said.

"Are you sure splitting up is what you want to do?" Iroh asked.

"It's the only way. They'll take you out with the pots, and I'll slip out the back. We'll meet up at Full Moon Bay. Sound like a plan?" I asked. Iroh and Zuko looked at each other before they each nodded once, agreeing to the plan. It was all set now, next stop, Full Moon Bay.

And beyond that, the Walls of Ba Sing Se.

 **And cut, that's all for this time around. Remember to drop a review, leave a PM, let me know what you liked or didn't like, and I'll see you all next time.**


End file.
